


When the world was still big enough for two

by sherbal



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-29
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2018-11-06 09:36:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11033505
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherbal/pseuds/sherbal
Summary: Starts when Barbossa was Jack's first mate





	1. Miss Emily Howard

**Author's Note:**

> weird (funny?) dialogues with a tragedy core as you can see from the title.  
> man, it took me like ten minutes to comeup with this one  
> you're warned.  
> what do you expect of pirates romance?  
> they raid(originally rape, it's a family film!), pillage, plunder, and pilfer weaselly black guts out  
> wait a mo, it's getting interesting, innit!  
> well, this is not a fluffy cute cuddly fic  
> but at least it can be a little bit funny for your entertainment.  
> I personally don't mind getting all emotional and crying myself to sleep  
> however, as this is based on the original (family-suitable) movies, I can't cold-heartedly make it depressing and heart-breaking.  
> But(why but again?!)I warn you, it's not a cute cuddly one (but, again?! it can be cute and cuddly for the first ten or so chapters, idk, i haven't decided.)  
> thank you for going through all the trouble reading here and please enjoy  
> if you have anything to say(criticize, compliment, sending me knives etc etc), please comment  
> I'd love to know what everyone of you thinks. it's really important to me.
> 
> PS: i wrote ten lines and forgot to mention the most important note: this fic is LOOSELY based on canon books and movies  
> anyway, enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's background stories.  
> Not entirely based on the canon books or the canon movie.  
> Wonder why Jack becomes Jack?

He's a pirate. A classic rum-drinking pistol-wearing curse-swearing vulgar filthy pirate. He glares and frowns. He growls and barks. He snorts from time to time. Even with that horrible scraggly beard groomed, his weather-beaten features won't be considered to have even a slightest charm. Women in Tortuga simply won't come and hook their plump arms around his shoulders unless paid handsomely. Without the blessing of a lovable face, he's also not vicious looking enough to intimidate and threat. He looks like an ordinary pirate. Not much character.

Jack got his rugged first mate from his father. This pirate lord of the Caspar sea, which hardly can be considered a sea, more like a giant pool with small groups of people floating on it, came to the rich fertile Caribbean area to find a living as his former ship was taken down in a battle. To be completely honest, Jack thought not very much highly of his future colleague when they met for the first time. Though a young man of little experiences, Jack was convinced that the older man was exaggerating the fact about the so-called violent tragic battle. Come on, maybe it was only two rafts throwing stones at each other and the so-called captain Barbossa's only crew member, his monkey, got hit on the head and died. And with his tiny raft broken, he had to swim for about five minutes to the shore to collect his rubbish and went to Caribbean to beg for a living.

He certainly didn't have much respect for the former captain of a raft called "Cobra". A proper captain won't have to crawl to other's feet to beg for a job, Jack thought. And as the captain of the fastest ship on the Caribbean, Jack was sure he could find dozens of experienced and loyal first mates waiting in line to get interviewed for the job.

His dad gave him the "wicked wench" as a birthday gift, though the old pirate didn't remember the date correctly. It was the best gift he could ever offer, probably the pirate lord of Madagascar was trying to make up to him.

Jack lived with his aunt's family in London when he was a boy, small aristocratic household but with big manners. His aunt Dorothy was married to some lord who worked for the king for oversea development business. Though the whole family seldom talked about his parents, he was bright enough to gather some information about his roots. Apparently, his mother, the little daughter of a wealthy merchant Henry Sparrow, was in love with a notorious pirate at that time and after gave birth to Jack, she went away with him to live a life on the sea.

Jack himself actually wasn't traumatized by his pirate parents who abandoned him heartlessly. Before he knew this, he always thought his dad might be Mr Smith the gardener, since the retired sailor gave him some coins from time to time to buy nibbles and bits. It was such a relief because Mr Smith, though very kind and loving, had some tiny terrible problem under the armpit. Jack was always afraid he would get this from "his dad".

He was certainly not mistreated. As aunt Dorothy didn't have any children of her own, she loved him as her only child. Surrounded by love and kindness, Jack, safely to say, was happy and content during his entire childhood.

After his aunt died when he was ten, unsurprisingly, his adventurous mom, Captain Selina Sparrow, came to London to collect him and only then he found out Mr Smith the gardener was actually his father's first mate many years ago. Jack did think carefully about whether to go with his mom or not, for he thought maybe all the pirates had the same problem of unpleasant body odor.

His mom, who managed to get a divorce with his dad after she found out that the sea is much more tempting than a prodigal pirate, was the captain of a beautiful ship called "the Samaritan". Captain Sparrow was an attractive yet deadly beautiful woman but honestly not very much caring. Since Jack was too young to be on a ship, she left him with an old woman on Tortuga, who later turned out, was actually an old man in drag, which explains a lot why Jack turned out to be Jack.

Miss Emily Howard, as she insisted on being called "a lady", did a good job of bringing Jack up as a young teenager. She fed him well by cooking him three meals of green gel, washed him clean twice a week and dressed him... in fancy dress. Though not a real woman, Jack learned a lot from "her" about how to deal with women. How to flirt and how to talk sweet to flatter them. Unfortunately, all those techniques are not used on women when he grew older, but to be used on dealing with other pirates. Miss Emily Howard will be very proud of her Jackie baby if she gets to know this.

At the age of fourteen, just old enough to work on a ship, he met his dad for the first time. Captain Teague is a strong tall man without many words. Wearing kohl around his eyes made him dark and frightening. He has a gloomy face. Even though they share the same blood in their veins, Jack didn't feel attached to his biological father. Captain Teague was also not keen to bring Jack with him. So Jack later was sent to work on one of his father's ships for six years until he was given the "wicked wench".

In general, he was brought up by very different people as a boy and learned a lot from them. He is not traumatized and is in fact very mentally-healthy. Maybe slightest camp when he walks, or talks, or does whatever he's doing. But he grew up to be a strong-minded young adult, with a ship of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Miss Emily Howard from "little britain"! David Walliams's acting is bit crass but very hilarious


	2. The watery tarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mermaids!

His dad gave Barbossa and a whole crew to him with the ship, which was like a "two for one" thing. He liked the ship very much, but the first mate that came with it, eh, no. Jack couldn't put into words why he disliked Barbossa that much. The older pirate always gave him a creepy uncomfortable feeling that he may stab Jack in the back and throw him overboard. He didn't have a so-called honest face and his strong Irish accent didn't help a bit. Barbossa was not a very talkative man but for whatever reasons, he was popular among the crew. This annoyed Jack very much.

They were sailing on the Caribbean Sea, patiently waiting on the route of merchant ships ready to raid and take. It was their lucky day, a British cargo ship run into them. Everyone was in a high mood but the sneaky ship was also in their lucky day. The ship quickly adjusted their heading and sailed into the water area surrounded by several small islands.

Jack was overexcited as this game of hide and seek was so fascinating. He commanded the crew to follow the cargo ship. Barbossa, who seldom spoke to him unless strictly necessary, advised him not to.

"Cap'n, you'd not want to be in tis area."

"Why?"

"Mermaids."

"I've never seen one! Let's go and have a look." Jack was even more excited.

"You are risking every man's life on this ship. Trust me, you don't want to see those watery tarts, those cruel devious creatures that are pure evil."

Jack was amused as he mentioned those mermaids as the watery tarts.

"We've been sailing for two weeks and got nothing. If there are mermaids in this water, then we can have a easier harvest since they already have their meal of that ship's crew. There's nothing to worry about."

"You don't understand..." Barbossa was still trying to persuade him.

"Mr Barbossa, the captain is giving his orders."

The older man suppressed his anger and walked away. Jack watched him leave with triumph.

No very long after they sailed into this circled area, they saw the cargo ship resting on the water. The mermaids must have finished their supper, Jack thought. It was a great opportunity to avoid fight and get what they want.

Jack dangled over to the other ship by using a long rope of the mast when they got near enough. The cargo ship is deadly quiet, not a man to be seen. The mermaids did like to lick their plates clean. The ship was slowing sinking due to a several holes on the body, probably made by the claws of mermaids.

He waved at his crew to get them over here. And when he turned around to search the cabin, he saw a girl's face staring at him shyly from outside through one of the holes. It was a very pretty face, big shiny blue eyes and petite nose with a small pouted mouth. Jack was enchanted.

"You're not hungry, are you?" He tried to make some conversations while staying at a safe distance.

The mermaid just smiled at him. Jack could see few strands of her wet blonde hair stuck to the side of her face which made it irresistible for him to put them behind her ears for her.

"Can you talk?" Jack walked closer.

The mermaid started to sing a song. He couldn't recognize the lyrics but it was beautiful just like this little mermaid. Jack wondered if all the mermaids are that beautiful. There must be some ugly fat old ones.

He didn't noticed he was walking towards the mermaid. He only saw another two red-headed mermaids, as beautiful as the first one, swimming over and looked at him through the hole. They are like moonlight, pure and divine.

The next thing he knew was somehow he was dragged through the hole into the cold sea water. It was a scary experience. The beautiful ladies' face were all twisted into monsters with sharp teeth, ready to bite off his head.

That's it then? Captain Jack Sparrow will die in the arms of a whole bunch of mermaids? That's not a bad ending.

But a strong pair of hands grabbed his shoulders when he was being dragged to the deeper water.

A male mermaid? Jack thought. Well, hope he's not like Miss Emily Howard.

But it wasn't a male mermaid, it was his first mate.

He couldn't remember much, except the burning pain in his lungs and his first mate's sea blue eyes in the clear water.

When they put their heads above the water, Jack inhaled deeply and then blacked out.

Moments later when he found himself lying on the deck of his own ship, with crew members pouring oils to the water around the sea and Barbossa shouting about setting fire.

"Die, ye fecking sea pigs!" He was still dripping water to the dry floor of Jack's ship. His hat was missing and his wet sandy blonde hair was darker than usual and stuck to the side of his face, like the little mermaid. This thought truly disgusted Jack. Eek! This big-noise Irishman is linked with dead seagulls and wet sand and dirty armpits. How mad was Jack to compare him to the pure (evil) creature of the sea?!

"Watery tarts!" Jack shouted at his first mate who saved his life, even though probably not reluctantly.

"What?" Barbossa heard him.

"Watery tarts not fecking sea pigs!" Jack laughed and lied back on the deck to enjoy breathing.

He was sure Barbossa rolled his sea blue eyes.

How could he not noticed before?

Eek! What was he thinking about?

He got to wash away this thought with rum.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I learned that espression from Monty Python's holy grail movie.  
> Not sure if it's a good idea to learn swear words from foreign movies


	3. Innit, Hector?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's being annoying

They lost five crew members. Six if Jack was not rescued by his first mate.

Jack hated to admit he made a wrong decision because they also didn't find anything valuable on the sinking cargo ship. And he secretly admitted to himself that Barbossa do know a thing or two and he probably has a lot to learn from the former captain of a Cobra.

When they sailed away from the mermaid water into the welcoming embrace of the Caribbean Sea, it was nighttime. Everyone was worn out after a tense fight against the vicious mermaids and had the captain's permission to go to bed earlier than usual.

Jack dug out a fine bottle of rum under his bed and sneaked out to properly thank the man who saved his life.

He found his first mate on the deck, talking to the helmsman. Jack patiently waited in the darkness for them to finish their conversation.

He looked up at the night sky of the Caribbean, so dark, so deep, with stars drizzling on the black curtain.

He loves this life.

He heard no one was talking so he must hurry up and invite his life-savor for a drink.

"What're ye doing here, Cap'n?" Barbossa's voice came from right behind him.

He got so lost in his thoughts about the beauty of the sky's full of stars, that he didn't notice Barbossa was waiting for him all along. He thought he was the Sparrow to catch the worm but Barbossa was actually the eagle waiting to capture the bird.

"Enjoying the view? What a lovely day? I say, Barbossa, what about a little drinkie before sleep, eh?" Jack used his most manly voice to make this sound like a man-to-man thing, instead of a boy trying so hard to impress his older colleague.

Barbossa smiled like he saw right through Jack but decided to play along.

"Aye, cap'n, why not?"

They headed to the front of the ship instead of going back to the suffocating cabin. A little evening breeze cooled the ship and both men.

"Thanks, mate, for saving me out of the claws of those watery tarts. Mermaids are devils." Jack fished out two cups to pour the rum.

Barbossa sipped the rum and smiled. Jack frowned as how could a proper pirate sip any alcohol beverage instead of pouring the drink down his throat?

"I'm not drugging you!" Jack complaint.

"One can not be too careful." He raised his left eyebrow.

"Why would I want to drug my first mate?!"

"I know you don't like me, Jack." Barbossa drank up.

"That's not true, well, partly true. Not until you saved my life!" Jack was embarrassed.

"You've proved your worth, Mr Barbossa." Jack extended his right hand to his first mate.

Barbossa didn't certainly expect this childish praise, he was prepared for mind game, for power play, but not for making friends with Jack Sparrow, his young captain.

He was about to shake Jack's hand when Jack suddenly withdrew. Barbossa's face was an amusing mixture of surprise and confusion.

"I don't know your first name, Mr H Barbossa." Jack smirked.

"There's no need..."

"Of course there is. What does the "H" stand for? Harry? Henry? Herbert? Harold? Heather? Hugh? Hugo? Please tell me it's not Humphrey. " Jack took Barbossa's cup and refilled it, but didn't give it back to him.

"It's Hector, for god's sake! " Hector Barbossa grabbed his cup back from Jack.

"Suits you." Jack extended his left hand again and Barbossa sighed.

Just when he was about to shake the young man's hand, Jack withdrew it again.

Hector almost looked like he could throw the cup to Jack's face.

"So can I call you hector from now on?" Jack looked up at his furious first mate.

"No!"

"But we're mates!"

"Never, don't even think about it." Barbossa drank up again and shoved the cup into Jack's hands and walked away.

"Hey Hector?!" Jack called out from behind.

Barbossa struggled to punch the young lad but turned around.

"What?!"

"Sorry about your hat. I'll buy you a new one."

Then he saw his first mate frowned.

"Those ones with feathers! How about that, Hector?" He added.

"Don't call me bloody Hector!" Jack could see Barbossa was very pleased indeed.

In the following days, the crew were both painful but amused to see their young captain calling the first mate "Hector" in every sentence he made. Even he was not talking to Barbossa, he still had to add "Innit, Hector?" to the end of every line. The first mate was quite gloomy. Once a sailor called him Hector accidentally for this name had become an ear worm to them all, the first mate almost threw the poor lad overboard.

Jack was very pleased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used to think Hector is a very common name.  
> How wrong!


	4. Daddy's boy

Hector thought the boy was nothing but annoyingly smugness. Daddy's boy clearly had no knowledge of how to tame the crew, how to bargain with other pirate captain, or even how to read a map. He who knows nothing should at least have the self-conscience to shut his mouth and let the experts do their jobs. But unfortunately, the little sparrow was quite keen to stick his smug little nose into everything on board, which upset Barbossa tremendously.

The wicked wench was a fine ship, a true beauty. She deserved a much more experienced captain than this callow young sailor. A mature veteran like Barbossa himself. He didn't volunteer to be a kid's first mate. If it wasn't he owned captain Teague a favor before, he would happily dump the young captain into the deep blue sea and sail away his ship. But he couldn't. Teague was the only one who gladly offered him a job when he came to the Caribbean area with almost nothing but the miserable memory of his beloved ship taken down brutally. Teague treated him well, gave him support and more importantly, the respect he desperately needed at that time.

Barbossa was once a dashing young lad. Being the youngest captain on the Caspar sea and later becoming the lord of the Caspar sea were indeed something to boast about in a tavern. He was young and carefree. Sailing on the Caspar sea like a free bird in his mother sky. Women or sometimes the finest lads in his arms and gold in his hands. But the good old days were gone. He was a homeless dog wagging his tail begging for a living on this new land.

He hated Jack sparrow more than he hated the rosy dawn indicating the upcoming rainstorm.

He hated Jack sparrow more than he hated the haunting smell of sailors in the cabinet.

"I can't do this any more, Teague. He's a little prat." Hector said over beers to Teague in a Spanish tavern.

"He's like Selina. He had that spring in his steps and rebel in his mind." Teague touched his beer mug gently, like he was remembering something.

"And he talked like his mother. Come on, Teague, how could a young lad talk like a missy? Have you seen him drinking rum with his pinky up? I know he's your son and I'm not in the place to say this but he's nothing like a pirate!"

"Hector, I don't see problem in his behavior. You must have seen people who are less pirate-like than him. You've met Sir Sumbhhajee. You know what I'm talking about." Teague shrugged.

"Don't call me Hector. Your lad calls me Hector eight hundreds time a day! What's his goddamn problem?"

Barbossa got overexcited that he choked on his beer.

A hand patted on his back to soothe him down. He thought it belonged to some local whores.

"Thanks, doll." Barbossa grabbed the hand on his right shoulder after he recovered.

"Jackie. What're you doing here?" Teague said.

Barbossa dropped the lad's hand immediately.

"You're welcome, Hector." That fecking Jack sparrow said behind him. "I don't know you're here, dad. I'm searching for the best rum in town."

The callow runt pulled out a chair and sat between them.

Barbossa stared at him so hard that if he was wearing a glass eye, that eye would fall out into his mug.

"I'd better check on the ship. Master Johnson is a mindless git and can never be trusted with guarding the ship on his own." Hector ran off the tavern as quick as he could.

"I like him." Jack said to his old man as they watched Barbossa bumping into three men on his way out.

Teague said nothing but smiled.


	5. A tribute

Captain Salazar was a pain in the ass. The tall dark stranger simply barged into the pirate's habitat and pulled out his guns and cannons, ready to rip holes on every ship with black flags. Those were dark days, no one survived after running into him. The butcher of pirates did have a lot to be smug about.

But his smugness could not stay on his face for very long, Jack led them into a trap and after did a U-turn with the ship almost perfectly, the Spanish man and his crew now could Rest In Peace with eternal flame. Jack's heart was bumping crazily as he risked the life of all his crew members to set the trick. His head was clear but his heart went wild. He moved fast and precise but inside a boy was screaming "what if I fail". He was scared to death, but on the outside, he tried to be a pirate who seemed to have seen it all, done it all. He was only twenty-two. He did his best.

After they watched the Spanish ship burned down in the hell fire, the wicked wench made her way out of this cursed water and sailed into the mother's embrace of the Caribbean Sea.

He felt exhausted, the way he should feel after going through a gamble of life and death. When he had some strength to turn his gaze form the horizon, he saw proper respect and even fear and proudness on everyone's face which he had never seen before.

"Cap'n, where should we be heading next?"

His mind was blurry and his heart beat slower than ever. Was he going to die now?

"Tortuga" was the only word he could think of at this moment. Then the world went blank.

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on a bed, judged by the smell and decoration of the room, he decided he was in Tortuga.

It felt like he went through a big adventure but came home with an empty ship. He felt weak and tired but there was no evidence of what he had been through but only his memories.

He heard footsteps outside and Miss Emily Howard opened the door. He hadn't seen her for a long time

"My Jackie boy! You've waken up!" Said the lady who pasted his prime but still got something.

"Yes, Miss Howard, how nice to see you! But I really need some water and probably some food now."

"Your language, Jack. What did I tell you about how to ask favors from a lady?"

"I'm fucking starving, woman. Now get your fat bottom up and fetch me something to eat."

Miss Emily Howard smiled. "That's my boy."

"I missed you, Miss Howard. You're still as beautiful as the day I met you." Jack patted her hands.

She pinched Jack's cheek slightly.

"I missed you, too. You've grown up so much that I can't even recognize you when they sent you here." She sniffed a little.

"My crew? Where are they now?" Jack was afraid they took his ship.

"Oh, they're downstairs now. Drinking with hookers. Gambling or shooting each other. Don't worry, they won't dump you. You proved yourself after dealing with that hot Spanish captain. I've heard about it. What a pity he died. He was such a sweet beefcake."

"You've met him before?"

"Met him? We were that close before he joined the navy." She showed her pinky finger. "To be honest, he begged me several times to smuggle something for him. Ah, good old days, I was a talented smuggler. I could smuggle anything if it was of the right price." Her face which was covered in heavy white paint lightened up on remembering her old days.

Jack didn't know how to react, he should be getting used to these a long time ago.

After he felt strong enough under the care of his good old nanny, he went downstairs to look for the crew. Honestly, the moment everyone saw him on the staircase, they all went absolutely silent. Jack thought he broke the record of how quiet the "Red-haired Sally" could be. Every sailor on his ship even including people who didn't work for him, all removed their hat and greeted him solemnly.

When Jack reached the bottom of the stairs, everyone was still standing still. A short bloke with an eyepatch over his right eye approached him carefully.

"What's this, master Thompson?" Jack frowned at the fine leather hat Thompson handed him.

"A tribute, sir. We all chipped in."

Every sailor in this room smiled, revealing their bad teeth.

Jack shook everyone's hand and drank everyone's rum. The tavern was filled with the air of happiness and pure joy until midnight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see "before night falls" the movie. Jonny Depp was so amazing in it. And if you've seen it, you know the background stroy of Miss Emily Howard.  
> My god, Bonbon was so charming!


	6. Hello, sailor

He did notice that his first mate was not in the tavern but the rum in his veins made his already blurry mind dizzy enough to forget about all this. He wandered off the tavern with tired eyes and blushing cheeks. The hot air in the "Red Sally" was quite suffocating even without the strong scent of rum. He, as a highlighted hero, did remain his last sense of soberness to try to leave this praise and glory. He needed to cool himself down. He should be proud, two years of working with these men, and tonight he finally gained their full respect. He was a boy but now, it was his turn to stretch his wings and fly to the clear sky of the mysterious but adventurous Caribbean area. Tonight he became a man.

He staggered along the pebble road, with a bottle of rum in hand, following the lead of a cool breeze. And when he managed to open his eyes again, he reached the beach of Tortuga. Not the one near the port, but a neat quiet one with a more shallow water. He could only hear the sound of tides beating the sands gently and seagulls sang very far away above the middle of the deep dark sea. The Mother Nature was kind enough to give him his personal space to let him taste the pride and success he deserved.

But soon enough he found out he wasn't the only one to enjoy this view, there was this man, standing in the deeper water, bathing under the moonlight. He couldn't make out the stranger's face in the dark. But the man over there did have a fine bone structure, not extremely muscular but certainly not lean and weak.

Jack tripped on something and fell onto the sands that were still warm after the sunset. Turning around to see what tripped him and he found a neat pile of clothes with a pair of boots put beside them. This certainly belonged to the man bathing in the dark. Jack didn't make an effort to get up. The soothing breeze stroke his hot body and touched his messy hair.

It was fine to share this wonderful view with the stranger in the sea.

The creature in the sea was swimming towards the beach, swiftly like a fish. Jack closed his eyes a bit to just listen to the faint sound of the man's strong arms pulling apart the water. Like Peseidon. Like a glowing god. Jack felt lights in front of his eyelids and when he reopened them again, he saw this creature, naked but beautiful like the Venus on the clam shell, walking steadily towards him. It was a proper grown man's body, unlike the boyishness of his own. Jack was jealous but not entirely bitter.

He felt there was a mask lifted from his eyes and he could no longer deny the fact that he knew exactly who that was the moment he set foot on the dry warm sands. He was still trying to ignore the fact that he was not brought here only by the kind Mother Nature, but the crude call from the bottom of his heart.

"Hello, sailor." He said while the figure was getting near enough, not trying to hide the laziness in his voice.

"Jack, what're you doing here?" His wet first mate called out. His voice was deeper but gentler than the usual low growl. More coarse mainly because of the former swimming in the sea.

"Collect my tribute? You know, Hector, everyone including that cheap Sam paid his tribute. But not a single one from my first mate." His eyes were almost close. Jack could smell the sea from the tall stranger standing in front of him.

"I got your ungrateful ass back to Tortuga. How about that for a tribute?" Jack could tell he was trying to sound pissed off but Hector was not a very good actor.

"The captain of the wicked wench demands more. " Jack extended his hand out to the stranger.

Hector was moving closer, closer than he could have thought. Jack felt sea water dropped from the older man's hair to his shoulder and damped the fabric.

He felt the other one's breathing near his right ear. With the sound of the sea and seagull in the background, Jack closed his eyes.

"You want a tribute?" Barbossa almost said this by whispering.

"Of course." Jack smiled in the dark, as if he knew what he was waiting for.

Then the next moment he found a ring on his extended hand. A ring that was previously worn by his first mate. A quality gold ring with a ruby on it.

It was dry because Barbossa left it with his clothes on the shore. Jack felt the cool heavy gold in this hands like feeling a cold heavy fact that things were not going towards the way he thought.

"Congratulations." Barbossa was not trying to hide anything as he stood up and began to put his clothes on.

"For what?" Jack didn't immediately put on the ring. He thought he deserved something more.

"You've been elected the pirate lord of the Caribbean Sea earlier today by the Brethren court. “Barbossa was busy putting his long boots on, ignoring the longing in the young man's dark brown eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perhaps I should mention that this fic is probably about onesided Jack/Barbossa  
> But I haven't made up my mind.  
> I've written too many one-sided fics and am quite tired of it(no, that's not the word, how about...em... enjoy it, very much!)  
> So this is not a sweet and cute fic.  
> I warned you.


	7. Boy with apple

One ordinary day, they came across an unfortunate merchant ship. It was a plain victory, nothing requiring too many efforts. When the crew were searching the whole ship for spoils, Jack found a nice extravagantly lavishing hat with ostrich feathers.

"Hey, Hector!" He called out for his first mate who was also in the same room browsing the captain's personal belongings.

The older man failed to respond so Jack went ahead and found him behind the screens.

"Hector, look... wow, what is that?"

They were both staring at an oil-painted portrait. A black-haired brown-eyed boy was holding a big green apple in his hands. He wasn't smiling and even showed no emotions whatsoever, but there was some temptations in it that Jack could not tell. Looked kinda creepy.

"What?" Barbossa turned his gaze away from the painting reluctantly.

"I've got you a hat, like I promised. Big, fancy, with feathers stretching out. You'll love it." Jack put the hat on his own head and looked at himself in the mirror.

"I'll gladly take that then." His first mate grabbed the hat from him and put on his head.

"Why is he smiling like that?" Jack looked carefully at the painting and reached out his hand to touch it.

Barbossa swatted his hand away and took the painting from the wall after one long serious look.

"You'll have it? I don't know you're a radical art collector." Jack took the hat from Barbossa and put it on his head again, just to annoy his grumpy first mate.

To his surprise, Barbossa wasn't angry or even rolling his eyes like usual. He was just walking away while looking carefully at the oil painting.

"You like it." Jack caught up with him.

Barbossa turned around and snatched the hat from Jack's hands.

"Yes."

 

And in the following days, Barbossa hanged the painting on the wall of his bedroom. Jack caught him staring at the painting several times when he sneaked into his bedroom for whatever reasons.

The young captain didn't know exactly why, but he couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed.

The boy in that painting was young and innocent with a stupid gleam in his stupid brown eyes and was dressed so camp that it was fucking stupid to look.

Jack could not understand why his first mate loved this portrait so much.

"It's bit dull, innit? The colors are not good and that lad is staring at you with a blank face." Jack again paced in front of the painting one night.

"It's a fine art, Sparrow. Learn to appreciate." Barbossa said while opening the door to welcome his young master out.

"Hector, why do you like it?" Jack turned around to look at him, ignoring the open door.

"Because you don't?" Barbossa sound smug enough.

 

Jack managed to bring the subject of the stupid oil painting several times in the future, but Barbossa could never answer why he liked it so much. But as time went by, Jack just let this drift away. Every man's got to have his own hobby. To him, was probably drinking rum while the sun going down. To Barbossa, was staring at a terrible painting with a male prostitute in it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by that painting in "The Grand Budapest Hotel".  
> I've read some interpretations of it. Some of them say that apple is a symbol of wealth, supposed to be owned by Jewish people.  
> And of course, the meaning of this painting in this fic doesn't relate to the Austria and nazis and horrible oppression of Jewish ppl.  
> Apple here is the forbidden fruit, holding by a balck-haired, brown-eyed boy.  
> like the adam and eve's apple? like the symbol of sexual feelings? like Barbossa was looking it all day? wonder why Hector likes eating apples and the first thing he wanted to do after the curse was lifted in potc1 , was to eat a whole bunch of apples?  
> mhm, ten years of no apples, Disney is really subtle.  
> Is "eating apples" what the kids call it today?


	8. Slippery slope

Barbossa finally noticed that his young master became more and more manly than he first met him. It wasn't a "change overnight" thing. It was more like he was evolving towards a proper pirate day after day, under the positive influence of Barbossa himself if the older first mate was not being modest. Jack stopped waving his arms in the air like a noblewoman getting agitated by a fly on her nose, and he didn't squint that much while talking like before. Most importantly, he finally learned to slap a man on his back naturally instead of touching their shoulders and running his hand down their spine almost seductively.

That was a good sign. His captain was becoming a fine captain of a fine ship and rather than a young prostitute flirting his way around the boat like a little show-off pony.

"You've said about the first Bretheren court gathering?" His manly captain said to him one night in a manly way.

"Aye, tis'll be your first time there. We actually wanted to hold it right after you were elected, but it seemed everyone was stark broke and couldn't afford to stay any longer." Barbossa said while chewing a nice green apple, watching his manly captain walking towards him in a manly way.

"You mean, pirate lords can't afford a seven-day conference?" Jack looked at him in a manly way that made Barbossa felt quite manly around him.

"What do you think? We ain't real lords. Otherwise they wouldn't need to hurry back home robbing passing ships to raise for expenses of next gathering here." Barbossa saw Jack standing in front of him, never so manly before.

"That Davy Jones, handsome fella, seemed quite decent. Why didn't you elect him as a lord?" Jack leaned against the master pole in not very much a manly way. Barbossa rolled his eyes.

"He may be preferred by the goddess herself. But he's a gigolo."

"That's bit harsh, innit. I mean, I personally don't mind getting a boat and a crew and ability to travel between worlds from my lady." Jack eyed him suggestively.

"He's her pet. End of story. She'll always get another one. Today it's Jones, tomorrow Jason. Who knows. God behaves in a mysterious way, lad. " Barbossa threw the rest of his apple into the sea.

"Or Jack." Jack looked like he was deep in thought.

"I know what you're thinking about. Don't do it. Don't mess with her. " Barbossa suddenly realized something.

"I haven't said anything! " Jack protested. "I bet all of you envies Davy so much. You're just jealous." He raised his left eyebrow.

"Shut your trap, lad. No one's jealous." Barbossa glared at him. "She's been in love before, not even once or twice. The sea's changeable, unpredictable. Her last one, you know what happened to him?" Barbossa took a step forward.

"He was given a treasure chest and her permission to go home?" Jack said carefully.

"His ship was crashed into pieces by that hellish creature. All of his men dead. No one knows what happened to him, alive, or dead, or being dragged into the deep blue hell of eternal suffering." Jack widened his eyes.

"To change the subject completely, Hector." Barbossa was glad his captain used his manly voice to talk to him again, "What will the first gathering be about? Sea pollution? Environmental protection? Less slaughtering and more caring service of raising the survival rate after robbing a ship? "

He saw Barbossa frowned and then he lowered his voices. "Binding Calypso."

"Wow! Binding her! Why? And how could..."

Barbossa shushed him. "Keep it down! It's top secret at the moment." They both looked around to check if anyone noticed them.

"Davy Jones told us how to. He's fed up with her and wants to take revenge."

"And you called him a gigolo. He's got guts." Jack shrugged.

"This doesn't change the fact that he's doing it for revenging his broken heart. The rest of us only want to get her off our back. It's been long since sea was tamed to her own use. And now it's our time. We'll no longer need to crawl under her feet to beg for mercy. Pirates don't beg, for mercy." Barbossa looked into the horizon, lost in thought.

But his thought didn't go very far before his captain interrupted his mind.

"Do you need goats or one-eyed man? I'm just saying, probably we should get those things first. You know, one-eyed man sometimes is very difficult to find, considering most of them will lose their other eye very soon." Jack babbled like a babbling baboon.

"Why the blazes do we need that?" Barbossa glared at him, "she's invited to the gathering. She'll appear in her human form. She may be immortal as a god, but not her human form. If her body die, she'll be trapped in it for eternity."

"So we're not binding her in a rock or a cup, we'll bind her in a human body. If you ask me, Hector, this plan is shit. She'll be walking around after we bind her? Come on. Do you think she'll be happy with that?" Jack frowned.

"We'll dump her in a jail, letting her rot away at there. "

"You're on a slippery slope, my friend. Do you have any backup plans? If you don't, I suggest we leave her alone. She never does much damage to us, right? Why can't we pay less attention to her existence? "

Barbossa sighed, "do you know why I come here? Leaving my beloved Caspar?"

"I don't want to sound harsh, mate. But everyone knows that water ain't got much stuff." Jack shrugged again.

Barbossa ignored him, "Me ship was taken down by a bunch of soulless swines. 'Cobra' could have gotten those bastards, but she was dragged underwater by Calypso's pet. Those men sold their souls to her to beg for the mysterious power of the sea, and she granted them what they wanted."

Jack saw his first mate shut his eyes tightly on remembering his old days.

"We don't need to beg for mercy. We don't need to bow to someone who grants boons to whoever makes deal with her. We earn what we earn by working hard, we get what we want by dreaming and doing, not by selling our souls to a heathen god."

Jack didn't know whether this was right. There's always got to be someone who can get advantages, no matter how he does it, he still gets it. If earning a living by the sweats on their foreheads applies to all, then the kings and queens should all roll up their sleeves and plant potatoes. Taking the shortcut while other fools haven't realized, is probably the right thing to do. If you don't do it for being noble, then others shall do it and use it against you. Jack had no bad feelings about people selling their souls to get what they want. They are their souls and their right.

He didn't want to mention this to Barbossa. He understood his anger but he couldn't agree with his point. So he patted his first mate on the shoulder and left to check the map.

 

 

The gathering was not quite the way as Jack imagined.

It should be rigorous and solemn, with a sense of pirate wildness and rebellion.

Or at least, due to the limited budget, hardcore pirate stuff.

Definitely not thirty men in dirty coat and ten women in mud-stained dresses. With court clerks sitting on the outside circle. Come on, that clerk over there even couldn't spell his name right.

His dad should be here. But since he retired from his lordship of Madagascar, Jack probably had no chance to see him here.

Everyone was challenging everyone's patience.

I mean, how come the French always look uncomfortable in the crowd?

Spanish were talking with Italians, both raising their voices and using tremendous amount of hand gestures. Russians sitting in the corner, secretly making deals with others. Chinese were not keen to get engaged in conversations but listening to everyone quietly.

This meeting was moved from Tortuga to the shipwreck cove, mainly due to budget reasons, for this place was clearly more affordable to some pirate lords from the East. Less hookers and little rums. Perfect place for gathering. Abysmal place for pirates gathering.

Jack saw an old man sitting in the corner, looked quite familiar but couldn't remember where did he meet him.

But before he had the chance to take a better look at him, the door opened.

Everyone in this room looked nervous for a second. And the room went quiet.

"So you want me here." A black woman walked in, dressed in a ragged long dress with bones and beads decorations, brining the smell of the sea into this crowded filthy-smelling room.

Everyone dared not to open his mouth.

Her eyes were sharp like sharks. Almost glowing in the dark, very threatening, very shiny, very dark.

"Aye, Calypso, our merciful goodness. As our messenger delivered, we shall present you a gift, to honor you, and to show our respect." Barbossa said with a very fake smile. Jack frowned.

But Calypso failed to notice this.

"Captain Barbossa, or shall I say, master Barbossa?" She smirked, "your offer flatters me. But what could you possibly give to this, broken fragile woman?"

Jack saw Barbossa shaked slightly with anger. But he managed to get control of himself.

"We've all heard about your little... unfortunate experience. But worry not. We, your loyal servants, can get what you've lost for you." Barbossa waved at two men by the door.

A rusted chest was put onto the table between them.

There was a slight sound of a heart beating in the room. Jack thought it was himself's.

It was from the chest.

"His heart." Her voice tumbled. She walked closer and closer.

Barbossa extracted his pistol silently, waiting for the final opportunity. Jack forgot to breath.

One step closer and Barbossa could get her.

Just when the goodness was about to reach for the chest, she put a knife next to Jack's throat.

"I know your little tricks, Barbossa. You think you can fool me, young man. You're wrong. I thought you learned your lesson last time." She laughed.

"Do I get a say in this?" Jack said while carefully moving his neck from the blade a bit. "I didn't vote for this. I wasn't even elected when they made this decision. So please let me go?"

Everyone in this room rolled their eyes almost simultaneously.

"The chest is a fake. How dare you fool me with your cheap juggling?" She roared. "You need eight lords to bind me. Now we'll about to lose one, and then everyone of you will die one by one."

"By alphabetic order? I mean, most of them are illiterate so we better make an order before you get to it, right?" Jack whispered as the blade was cutting into his skin.

Before anyone had the chance to roll their eyes and sighed again, one man spoke.

"Davy Jones gave them his heart, just to bind you, Calypso. He didn't lose it. It was a lie. He wishes to get rid of you, like everyone. Can't you see it? Can't you feel it when he kisses you goodbye? " that old man Jack saw before, walked closer, holding a gun at her.

"Howard," she looked surprise for a moment,"after all those years... that's not possible. He loves me."

Her hands were shaking.

"You loved me, Howard. I... I don't know you survived. " her voice was shaking too.

Howard? Wasn't that name familiar? Jack thought.

"Where've you been all these years?" She dropped her eyes and looked away. "Are you taking your revenge on me now?"

"I escaped from your beast and had to watch it tearing my ship pieces by pieces, eating my crew alive. You had a new lover so you needed to abandon the old one? How much does his heart weigh in your hands, Calypso? Is it heavier than mine?" The old man drew his shirt open and showed a scar on his chest. "You're cruel. Men's hearts are handed to you, but you treat them like dirt. You don't simply toss them away and you have to crush them under your feet. You may be a god. But I don't crawl to you to beg for your love."

"Edward..." her whole body was tense as he got nearer. The room was shaking under her feet.

"Miss Howard!" Jack called out, recognizing the old man in the dim candle light.

Edward "Emily" Howard smiled sadly. "Hello, my Jackie boy."

"You've had your way with me, or Jones, or any poor souls before. We may deserve it for we were blind enough to fall for you. But this boy's innocent. You let him go."

"No." Her voice sounded twisted and echoed in this room. The floors were breaking apart and everyone couldn't stand up straight. Howard fell down and dropped his gun.

"He's my everything. You let him go and I'll promise you your freedom."

"Then beg me. Beg me for mercy." She was melting, there was water coming from under her feet. It was like she was crying.

Jack got this opportunity to run away from her, and the goodness was about to reach out for him. Howard ran to her and pushed her outside a huge crack of the ship.

The earthquake stopped.

Jack got up quickly and ran to the crack to see where they landed.

It was only deep dark ocean down below. Nothing to be seen.

 

Barbossa noticed that Jack returned to his usual not-so-manly self. He put kohl around his eyes and wore his hair differently. Just like his old nanny.

This time, Barbossa didn't say anything. Nobody said anything about this. People never acknowledge his eccentricities ever since.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like I'm using the same pattern of Samuel Barnett's "Beautiful people".  
> like:  
> chapter one:How Jack got his campness?  
> chapter two:How Jack got his ring?  
> chapter three: How Jack got his eyeliner?  
> anyway, I wish i could use that many cultural references in this fic as that series.   
> but the words for the awesome/tragic scenes in this chapter are so pale that I want to use eyeliner to write it.  
> sorry about that.  
> I have the whole scene in my head and even includes the CGI and stunts and extras.  
> Sadly, my english writing is so fucking poor that I ruined it.  
> sorry


	9. HIM

When they were sailing out of the shipwreck cove three days after the "successful binding conference", Jack still refused to talk and spent most of his time in the captain's room, leaving most of the work to Barbossa.

He had every right to be angry with himself, watching the one probably loved him the most in this world die in front of his face was indeed traumatic. Man or woman, whatever, Miss Howard provided him everything a boy needs during puberty. Jack couldn't possibly ask for more. She spoiled him a lot, but did a good job of reprimanding him when necessary. Jack wasn't a nice little boy then, causing trouble for her almost every day. But she never complaint.

She was like a mother to Jack. Thinking about that made Jack feel so bad. He regretted so much that he didn't visit her much after he left home.

It was getting rather late, but he still couldn't sleep. Jack put on his coat and hat and went out for the first time these days, to get on the deck and get some fresh air.

He heard loud snoring from the crew's cabin with nonsense grumbles. On other thought, he'd better shoulder the responsibility as the captain and check his crew. When he was heading towards there, he suddenly saw someone or something hiding behind the rum boxes.

He raised the lantern to see clearer and almost gasped when he recognized who that was.

A woman was staring back at him in the dark with her deep dark eyes.

Calypso.

"Are you taking on your avenge now?" Jack said while suppressing the anger within.

"Revenge?" There was something different about her Jack couldn't tell.

In the lantern's light, she looked vulnerable and even with a slight sense of mildness.

"Don't play games. Howard died and I'm not afraid to follow him. It'll be either you or me." Jack glared at her.

"Howard?" She looked confused.

Jack was confused too. After a while of complete silence, Jack asked, "Who are you?"

"Tia Dalma." She answered.

"But you're that woman, Calypso. Are you calling yourself Tia Dalma now?" Jack raised his pistol at her.

"Calypso? She took my body and the next thing I knew was here on this ship." She looked nervous, unlike the goodness herself who was always in control of everything.

"What do you do, Tia Dalma?" Jack still held the pistol at her in afraid of a sudden attack from the lying goodness.

"I tell fortunes, heal people, sell charms and magic."

"So you are a witch."

Tia Dalma raised her eyebrow.

"Yes, if you insist on calling me that."

"Ah, nice to know you. You know it's bad luck to have a woman on board, so I'm afraid..."

Before he could finish, the witch stopped him.

"I have a deal to make, you send me back, and I promise you a favor" She eyed him suggestively, "whatever you want."

"Mhm, what could you do for me then? You could be a pig farmer and you're lying right to my face now."

She looked offended, but Jack didn't continue his suspicion.

"You want proofs?" She was breathing heavily in anger, "you'll get it."

She took a step closer and looked at him carefully, Jack was shocked as he dropped his gun.

"Jack Sparrow..."

"Surely everyone knows that." Jack interrupted.

"Child of Edward Teague and Selina Sparrow. The captain of the Wicked Wench." Her eyes were closed and it looked kind of ridiculous. Her voice was coarse.

"You'd better get more proofs. These are not secrets. Every sailor on Turtoga knows that." Jack dodged her touch carefully.

"Here." She poked at his chest. "Has someone."

She smiled, revealing her blackened teeth.

"You're making things up." Jack hoped to end this conversation.

"Am I? You want more proofs?" She pressed closer and closer. "You craved for it long enough. Ah, this hunger and thirst. Can not touch, can not feel. Like watching a ship sailing away from your island. Poor little sparrow. Everything you try, you still can't have... HIM." She pronounced that "HIM" in a peculiar way. 

"What're you talking about? " Jack laughed nervously.

"A warning, specially for you, Jack." She opened her eyes, "I know you can't help it. But it's no good for you. Do not get in too deep. If you lose him once, don't go after. Or there will be a second time, and he will feel exactly what you're feeling now... even worse... for a long time. And as for you, a sparrow with his wings clipped is not a pretty sight."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do you believe in destiny?" She stood back.

Jack also took a step back, "you know, though you were talking rubbish, I'll send you back to where you're from and it's simply because I don't have the heart to turn down a woman."

She stroked his shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"There's still one favor, right?" Jack whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A hint:Tia Dalma's prophecies are really something to think carefully about.  
> Come on, you've got to believe the sea goodness.


	10. Mike's your uncle, Paul's your uncle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a joke chapter about rock stars being Jack's uncles  
> Warning: includes bad references of songs and famous affairs between two celebrities  
> I'm pretty sure you already know who are Jack's uncles

He hid her in the brig for almost a week. Saying there was a ghost down there and no one should come near until they got some priests to get it away.

His crew believed his crap and surprisingly, Barbossa, though frowned every time Jack mentioned the "ghost", said nothing about this.

They arrived at Tia Dalma's homeland, which is a small island with many natives and to Jack's greatest surprise, there was even a tavern there.

He waved the witch goodbye and told his men he was going to find a priest on this island and walked straight into the drunken pirates' heaven.

"Hey Jude! Be a good lad and give us some rum."

He was stopped by a middle-aged man with a lovable jolly round face.

"Uncle Paul! How nice to see you here!" Jack called out.

"Jackie? My goodness you've grown a lot. The last time I saw you, you were a wee-boy." Uncle Paul Teague stood up and hook his arm around Jack.

"Mike?! Look who's here!" Uncle Paul shouted at the man sat beside him who was burying his face in hands and clearly suffered from a hangover.

"Uncle Mike! Haven't seen you for a while. Still drinking that much?" Jack sat down between them, waving at the bartender named Jude for more rum.

"Ah, me fucking head. Jackie, what bring you here? Heard you got your own ship, eh?" Uncle Mike struggled to get his head up to look at Jack.

"Yeah, the Wicked Wench, a true beauty. I'm just idling around, looking for what to do next. By the way, what're you two doing here? Are you working together?" Jack thanked the very little boy named Jude for the rum,

"Na, I'd rather die than go on his ghastly yellow boat." Said Mike, "There's no life at ease on that one."

"Hey, it's still better than your bloody little dinghy. Why do you have to paint everything black? Ooh, let's paint that red door black. What was on your mind at the time? We're pirates not undertakers. Like the black flag isn't enough." Uncle Paul protested from the left side of Jack.

"I was probably drunk at that time." Mike poured half bottle of rum down his throat.

"Remember the time he got really drunk and spent the whole evening on the beach rolling stones?" Paul said to Jack.

"Yeah, I remember. In the morning, he almost built a copy of the Stonehenge." Jack smiled awkwardly.

"Hey, kid, remember this old dog gone mad, playing with four beetles all night after only three bottles! And cried like a baby after he accidentally shot one. Such a loser." Mike wiped out a pipe and enjoyed himself in smoking.

Jack was sure uncle Paul rolled his eyes.

"He's drunk, Jack. Don't mind him. Anyway, how's love life, huh? At your age, your pop got in a hot mess of salty wenches and, if I'm not boasting myself, I helped him with a lot of them." Uncle Mike was looking at him with sleepy eyes and contented smile in the pipe smoke.

"Aye, Jack. Is there someone? Hope she's good enough for our Jackie." Uncle Paul put away his rum bottle as far away as uncle Mike could reach.

Before Jack could have the chance to dodge this question, uncle Mike cut in. "Or is HE good enough for Jack."

"Mike, shut your trap. I don't want to mention this, but screwing a man and got caught by his woman was really something to get stuck in mind. What's his name again, Mike?"

"David. We're mates, alright? And his woman didn't mind at all. We were only having fun. Unlike cousin Freddie, total poof, of course."Mike finished his drink and was eyeing Jack's.

"That's... good to hear." Jack handed uncle Mike his bottle. "No, I still want to enjoy a bit of freedom. Women, no."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Rolling Stone's Mike Jagger and Beatles's Paul McCartney  
> I know it's lame to ponit out all the references (it's like telling your stand-up comedy audiences why it's funny to deliberately call Justin Bieber "Miley Cyrus". It's just arrogant and pompous. )but I can't resist it.  
> I have to google a lot of things to get those references (yeah, I actually only love the "Queen" and know so little about other 70s Enlish bands.) So if any of you don't get it, the notes below will help it more fun to read this chapter.  
> Alright, three songs mentioned in this chapter: Hey Jude, yellow submarine(lyrics, "As we live a life of ease") and Paint it black(lyrics,"I see a red door and I want it painted black")  
> Band names mentioned.(check)  
> The famous affair between Mike Jagger and David Bowie is that, Bowie's then wife Angela found them in bed when she came home and was pretty cool about it, even asked them if they want coffee or not.  
> And Freddie Mercury mentioned.  
> (not quite sure about using dead people references is okay, but I guess we won't use Justin Bieber references after he dies. sorry Justin. No offense. Love your "Baby" and of course your saggy pants, your wacky haircut, and your great tastes in hookers. But you do have good tastes in cars so I have nothing to say about this, as long as you don't smash them on old ladies.)
> 
> Oh, yes! If you still have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, here's some more basic background information. Jack's father Edward Teague was played by Keith Richards, one of the members of "Rolling Stones". The old rock star was the inspiration to Jonny Depp when he was creating Jack Sparrow. And in the third POTC, Jonny managed to get his idol to play his father, therefore comes the captain Teague. And in the lastest pirates movie, they get Paul McCartney to play Jack's uncle Jack in the prison scene(Yes, I changed his name back to Paul in the fic.)
> 
> And I just realized the recent chapters didn't include much romance in it. Meh, pirates life you guys! Wines and chocolates and dancing under the moonlight are not for them. It's like two members from the Bloodz and the Crips going on a big gay tour around Europe.（I'm sorry for making that much jokes. It must be getting disturbing to read such a long note full of self-talking and crappy jokes. But will you please watch Key&Peele's clips on youtube, it's amazing. They made this joke happen.）Anyway, I think the following chapters will focus more on their relationship and of course, HEARTBREAK ALERT!!!
> 
> and fuck it, I already edited this note four times and still want to write more.  
> Why don't I go and write a new fanfction with all notes and no content.  
> Alright, what I'm trying to say is, thank you for reading here and thank all of you who commented. It's encouraging to read your feedbacks and if you've got anything, really, anything to say, don't hesitate to comment, it means so much to me and thank you again.  
> I swear I won't edit this note again, even if I will be trolled for making fun of Justin Bieber.  
> (haha, funny, I do edit it again for a spelling mistake. damn it.)


	11. It's not a Greek thing

"So, where's the priest?" Barbossa greeted him on the deck.

"Ah... about this, he died." Jack took off his coat and hat and handed them to Barbossa. 

Before his loyal first mate could say anything, jack added, "But we did have a lovely conversation before he passed away. He showed me how to do an exorcism. Nice man. Probably shouldn't have taken that much rum."

Barbossa just dropped Jack's belongs on the floor and walked away.

"Looks like someone's been possessed." Jack shouted and caught up with him.

"By the way, cap'n. Where should we be heading next? The boys are all aching for another harvest."

"Ah, Hector, that's exactly what I want to talk about. The priest also told me how to get some golds before he snuff it."

"The priest did like you a lot, huh?" Hector snorted.

"Aye, and it took a lot to gain his trust. Anyway, he told me the Brits now are in desperate need of fine ships for shipping cargos to their colonies. How about that, Hector? Easy job, little cost, and under the protection of His Majesty or Her Majesty, it doesn’t matter." Jack waved at a sailor to get his coat and hat from the deck.

"Are your out of your mind? Working for the Limey company?That's outrageous. Are we pirates or not? Are you telling me we will become a merchant ship?" Hector looked at him with disbelief.

"Exactly, Hector. We just don't call ourselves pirates and can still do what we want. Merchant ship or pirate ship or toy ship, whatever. The name is irrelevant. You know the East Indian Company is taking a hard time on our colleagues now. So why not do a little work for them, get the gold and enjoy their protection?" Jack hooked his arm around Hector's shoulders and persuaded him gently. "They don't care whose ship we rob, French, Dutch, Spanish... as long as it's not their ships. They might as well encourage us doing so."

"So you're saying we work for them and can still keep our old business?"

"Aye! Double money, with protection." Jack was glad to see the man's face lit up.

"Then, cap'n. You have my vote." Barbossa patted jack on the back.

Jack didn't think that the first job for the Company could be that hard.

"I thought they meant cargos." Jack frowned at the soldiers who were sending black slaves into the brigs.

"Slaves' price will be much higher. Let's just hope they won't die too many on the way." Barbossa was busy studying the map.

Jack said nothing as he remembered seeing the crew's faces lighted up after the reward was mentioned.

He had been long idling around and it was becoming more and more difficult to maintain the daily running of the ship. He needed this money, for his crew, for the Wicked Wench.

They lowered their colors. Jack saw the red bird on it, feeling a numb coldness down his spine. The crew were all doing their jobs, washing the deck, tying the knots. Jack turned his head and saw Barbossa watching him quietly behind the wheel. He didn't look sad, or happy, or even emotional. He looked like he was deep in his thought. He looked like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

When jack opened his mouth and tried to say something, Barbossa turned away from his gaze and looked back into the horizon.

The Caribbean embraced its summer time and the weather was getting hotter and hotter in just a couple of days during their sail. The wooden deck radiated heat after the wash and the air smelt humid and salty. The crew all abandoned their blouses and worked bare-chested under the glowing hot ball high up in the sky. Jack, too, took off his shirt and bathed himself in the burning sunshine of this equatorial area. His skin was already honey brown after years on sea. The pale British officials that were onboard to scrutinise this journey often hid in the cabinet and only got out after the sun was down to enjoy a bit of evening cool breeze. Sailors didn't acknowledge them, just took them as a pack of more superior cargos this ship needed to take. Jack seldom talked to them, either. The officers were all too good to talk to a former pirate.

The Mosquitos also came with this hot weather, flying around buzzing in everyone's ears, making people restless and filled with rage. And with these little devils came with something even worse, death.

One evening, the dusk was gathering above the vast Caribbean Sea. Jack saw two sailors dropped another dead slave wrapped with a ragged blanket into the sea.

Jack didn't bother to ask why, or how many slaves were left. He stopped coming down to the brig a long time ago. It smelt so horrible down there and Satan could mistake this as his hell. Jack still remembered seeing all those blurry eyes and blank emotionless faces of those people. They were captured and sold, maybe twice and thrice, loaded into a ship and shipped to the plantations in the south. They didn't make much sound. Only staring at jack with their black eyes, standing there or sitting against the walls. 

Jack hated to see this.

"How many are there now?" Barbossa suddenly spoke behind him.

"I don't know. Twenty? Thirty?" Jack didn't bother turning around.

"I know what you are thinking about." Hector sighed briefly. He sound gentler, ready to make conversations.

"No, you don't. "Jack turned to face him and found his first mate standing in the last dim glow of the sun. He was wearing his blouse with all buttons undone, revealing his bare chest. He smelt salty, humid, like the wooden deck smelt after the morning wash, like the rainy Caribbean Sea, like the wet mud back in London Aunt Helen's garden. His face couldn't be seen clearly in the dark. The sun was behind him, decorating his long lean figure with a golden coat.

"What have they done to deserve this? They should be with their wives and children, not being loaded into a ship and shipped to work under the whip and grow cottons." Jack was intrigued by this sight in front of him, something he actually didn't realise what it was before.

Barbossa stared at him. His sandy blonde hair was braided and few strands fell into his eyes. The older man didn't bother to push them away, just let them hang there in the evening breeze.

"Jack, where would you be if you didn't own this ship?" He asked the question that could be harsh if it was five years ago. 

But jack had the confidence to answer that now. "If my pop didn't give it to me, I'd probably be working on other's ship now. Scrubbing the floor, tying the knots, controlling the wheel." 

"But you did get her five years ago, therefore you could be a captain at such a young age." Barbossa said the truth. "When I was twenty-five, I was still no one, working as a sailor, sleeping on a hammock with the rest of the crew, doing my best to earn a living on Casper."

He should sound bitter but jack felt nothing of that in his tone.

"Some people are bound to live better than others, jack. My father was an Irish drunk whose life was a complete waste of god's mercy. He couldn't offer me a ship. Just like the slaves in the brig now. They hunted for food and made a living by the kindness of nature. They were not born into posh aristocrats families and can't inherent a lordship from their fathers. They are down there and we are up here. It's not because they've done anything wrong. It's because it is how the world goes. If there is something they've done to deserve this, is probably they were born this way." Hector's voice were calm but his eyes were shinning in the dark.

Jack felt cold. He've seen death, far too much. His aunt, his nanny, his crew. The death can't bring him the shiver down his spine like his first mate's words.

"But that's not why we should treat them this way! They are all cramped up in the brigs like pigs and die like flies. We treat goats better than them."

"Then why don't you spare your room and your food to them, and see if they'll be thankful? Do you want to live in the brigs?" Barbossa said back.

Jack fell into silence.

“Jack.” His usual grumpy first mate took a step closer, putting his long lean hand on his right shoulder. It’s very rare for them to stay that close. “It is how the world goes for centuries. You can’t change that. Nobody can. There are rules that one must find out oneself. But sometimes it’s better for one to get from others.”

“Like now?” Jack looked up at him, didn’t even realise how close they were now.

Barbossa looked back at him, their eyes met, saying nothing.

It was like a mild sword battle. Both of their eyes were dodging and then meeting for a few cross.

Eventually, Jack was defeated. He hated to say, but he was not confident enough for this. The boy’s fighting spirit in him was never there since his entire life before hadn’t have anything he had to fight for. He couldn’t be ashamed of himself. It was just the way he was. “It’s not like that Greek thing, right?”

“No, it’s not.” Barbossa looked relieved for a second. He was no longer a fine lad. This kind of sword battle may not suit him any more. “It’s not a Greek thing.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys. This is a quick update and I'm so so sorry that I might have to take, like about a month or two before updating the fowllowing chapters. But don't worry, like I said in the old notes, I WON'T ABANDON THIS SHIP! LIKE, NEVER.
> 
> (Secret note to self: do not abandon this fic. DO NOT abandon this fic. This is your most precious baby unicorn that can literally shit rainbows and clog your toilet.)
> 
> it's just things are really tough recently and I need the right feeling to get back to this fic. (oh, shut up, Fitzgerald wrote the great Gatsby while singing an aria and feeding three monkeys at the same time. No, don't bother look it up. I make this up. But you get the gist.)
> 
> I know probably writers won't make it that clear in the ongoing fic that this fic will be a BE. And...congratulations! I didn't say spolier alert before. But yes, this is a BE fic!   
> No, please come back. I'm not an arrogant asshole. Baby, please. It's nothing to gloat about actually. I really want to mention that since you all have seen the movies, and I'm actually always a diehard canon fan so I won't and actually can't make them sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. (well, certainly in the middle, they will. But not the ending.)
> 
> And I want to say that after months since the POTC movie came out, you guys are still here, checking this fic from time to time and for which I'm indeed grateful. I have abandoned fics before. Actually one fic was abandoned when a sex scene came up and as a person who doesn't own a male genitalia, I totally panicked. What am I gonna do? No, I can't write detailed sex scenes. I mean, the *penis* (now I sound like Miranda Hart from the Miranda.) is really not my speciality. I can't believe I say this on AO3. Still, don't take it seriously. I've written explicit sex scenes, yes. But I'm afraid they are not very good, so I stopped writing them too detailed. HAHA, yeah, that's me.
> 
> Wait a sec, why am I talking about sex scenes? Fitzgerald can write sex scenes while jumping from a loop and playing the Carmen. I know you probably won't look it up this time. Anyway, all I want to say and trying to say despite all the horrible jokes I made, is that, thank you to whoever find this fic slightly amusing and thank you for sticking with me after such a long time. I will not give up. Afterall, it's my precious baby unicorn that can shit rainbows.
> 
> (And the title, it's not a greek thing. it's really about, you know, in ancient greek, grown ups giving young boys their knowledge and head, basically. I originally wanted to name this fic something Greek, but had to give up this idea since I think it's too exotic for me.)


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